PHILADELPHIA – June 16, 2014 – The Middle East Forum is pleased to announce the additions of Rafael Bardaji, A.J. Caschetta, Tarek S. Fatah, Raheem Kassam, and Gal Luft to its expanded Writing Fellowship Program.
"The Writing Fellowship Program increases the Middle East Forum's expertise," said Daniel Pipes, president of the Forum. "Each of our now 19 Writing Fellows brings a unique body of knowledge and perspective to consequential topics, thereby enriching our readers and providing insights to policymakers."
The Forum's new Writing Fellows:
Rafael Bardaji – Robert J. and Abby B. Levine Writing Fellow is executive director of Friends of Israel Initiative. Mr. Bardaji previously served as Spain's National Security Advisor from 1996 to 2004 for Prime Minister José María Aznar. He has advised NATO military commands, the Spanish armed forces, the Spanish intelligence service, and defense contractors. A member of the Atlantic Council of the United States Strategic Advisory Group, he is the author of books and articles. He is also an advisor to the Special Operation Forces HQ at NATO, and since 2004 has worked as director of foreign policy at the Foundation for Analysis and Social Studies.
A.J. Caschetta is a senior lecturer at the Rochester Institute of Technology where he teaches English and Political Science. He holds a Ph.D. from New York University, where he studied the effects of the French Revolution and Reign of Terror on British society. After 9/11, he began focusing on radical Islamist rhetoric and Western academic narratives explaining Islamist terrorism. He has written frequently for the Middle East Quarterly.
Tarek S. Fatah is founder of the Muslim Canadian Congress, a group committed to fighting Islamism and promoting the separation between religion and state. A columnist at The Toronto Sun and host of a Sunday afternoon talk show on Toronto's NewsTalk1010 AM Radio, he is the author of two books: Chasing a Mirage: The Tragic Illusion of an Islamic State and The Jew is Not My Enemy: Unveiling the Myths that Fuel Muslim Anti-Semitism.
Raheem Kassam – Larry and Brian Grodman Writing Fellow is a London-based writer and managing editor of BreitbartLondon.com. From a Muslim family, he is devoted to combating radical Islam and exposing anti-Western activists and trends. He is credited with the downfall of Baroness Jenny Tonge and Liberal Democrat MP David Ward. In 2012 he exposed the Muslim Patrols story that went global. Mr. Kassam also serves as chairman of the counter-extremism watchdog Student Rights. He previously served as the communications director at the Henry Jackson Society think-tank and co-launched The Commentator website as well as founding TrendingCentral.com. He is featured regularly on the BBC, Sky News, Channel 4, Al Jazeera, and many other television channels, and has been an op-ed contributor for publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Jewish Chronicle, and Times of Israel.
Gal Luft is co-director of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security (IAGS), a Washington-based think tank focused on energy security, and senior adviser to the United States Energy Security Council. He is also co-chairman of the Global Forum on Energy Security. He specializes in energy issues, including natural resources and economic warfare. Newsweek calls him a "tireless and independent advocate of energy security" and Esquire includes him in its list of America's Best and Brightest. Dr. Luft has published in the Middle East Quarterly, American Interest, Commentary, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Los Angeles Times, National Interest, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post. He is co-author of Energy Security Challenges for the 21st Century (2009), Turning Oil into Salt: Energy Independence Through Fuel Choice (2009), and Petropoly: The Collapse of America's Energy Security Paradigm (2012).
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The Middle East Forum promotes American interests in the Middle East and protects Western values at home through intellectual, activist, and philanthropic efforts.
For Immediate Release
For more information, contact:
Marc Fink, Chief Editor, Middle East Forum
Fink@MEForum.org